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Thailand Live Friday 11 Nov 2011


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Thailand Live Friday 11 November 2011

News, Bits and Tweets

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Keep up to date with live updates from the news, hour by hour.

For breaking news,national, regional and international news updates on a daily basis only, this thread is closed to commentary so that those who wish to follow the news can find it here...

Commentary is still open for Thailand news in the relevant thread posted in News Clippings.

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Related topic: Thailand Live Thursday 10 Nov 2011

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At least 533 killed from floods

The Nation

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The flood toll now stands at 533, with two people missing, Disaster Mitigation Centre director Phanu Yaemsri said yesterday, adding that floods continue to ravage 24 provinces, affecting 2.84 million people and 11 million rai of farmland.

The flooding has also made 69 highways in 10 provinces and 191 roads in 29 provinces impassable, he said. The Bhumibol Dam is up to 99.3 per cent of its capacity, while the Sirikit Dam is filled to 99.6 per cent of its capacity. The Kwae Noi dam is full, while the Pasak Dam is brimming at 129 per cent of its capacity, he added.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

BUSINESS

Seven-point plan to assure foreign firms

PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI

THE NATION

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The business sector yesterday outlined a seven-point proposal to the government to help flood-affected enterprises to recover and foreign investors to regain confidence, including guaranteeing no more floods.

After brainstorming with 30 foreign chambers and the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Nandor von der Luehe, chairman of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand, said yesterday that the government needed to announce clear plans for rehabilitation and for the prevention of future flooding.

The seven points include soft loans for small and medium-sized enterprises; delay in payments of corporate, customs and Board of Investment taxes; and unemployment assistance, as many companies have been flooded and cannot pay their workers any longer.

The government should also ensure that each firm can get insurance coverage for its future investment. The government should work with foreign experts to solve the problem of severe flooding and provide accurate and timely information to foreign investors, as they have been given an unclear picture on the flood situation.

The government should prepare long-term measures and put on the national agenda a guarantee that there will be no flood in Thailand after this year. Otherwise, some foreign investors could leave while new ones will not come to the country.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Samut Sakhon prepares emergency plan for workforce

The Nation

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With Samut Sakhon braced for flooding, the Labour Ministry has joined forces with business operators to find eight temporary shelters to support 300,000 Thai workers and some 200,000 immigrant workers, in order to prevent a repeat of Ayutthaya's flood woe when workers were scattered and couldn't access assistance easily.

Labour Minister Phadermchai Sasomsap yesterday commented on the workerassistance measures in Samut Sakhon, which will soon receive floodwater runoff from Bangkok. He said that Labour Ministry permanent secretary Somkiat Chayasriwong and his team visited the province yesterday and met business operators at the two Samut Sakhon industrial estates, which employ some 500,000600,000 workers in total. The operators would find shelters for Thai workers, while the ministry would send immigrant workers to existing shelters in various provinces, he added.

Somkiat said 200300 companies in the industrial estates would provide Thai workers with five or six shelters in Samut Sakhon, while the immigrant workers would be evacuated to Wat Thepnorarat in Tambon Nadee and the Tha Chin Eauarthern housing estate as well as Wat Khlong Madeu. If more space were needed, immigrant workers would be housed at ministry facilities in Ratchaburi and Phetchaburi. As part of a rotation scheme, some would be sent back to their home countries while others would be sent to work for new employers, he added. Samut Sakhon has about 370,000 Thai workers, 210,000 legal immigrant workers and some 100,000 illegal immigrant workers, he said.

Phadermchai also instructed vocational skill development centres in provinces such as Phitsanulok, Si Sa Ket and Mukdahan to produce water filters for flood victims seeking clean water for washing. So far they have built 240 filters - 10 of which were 200litre machines. If all centres helped out, they could produce 100200 machines per day, Phadermchai said. To request a filter, call (02) 248 2222 or 1560.

In related news, an informed source in Tak province reported that 2,000 Burmese workers in Bangkok and its vicinity were returning to Burma daily via the border point in Mae Sot district. A Tak Immigration official reported that so far 6,000 Burmese workers had returned to Burma, and 1,000 Burmese workers were crossing the ThaiBurmese Friendship Bridge every day.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Samut Prakan drains sewers

The Nation

Samut Prakan provincial administrative organisation yesterday installed three pumps to drain the Khong Dan Wastewater Treatment Plant's 3metrewide sewage system. It will also investigate the possibility of draining the water into the sea through it.

Removing the lids of the 14metre sewers and replacing them with grills could help prevent flooding on Srinakarin, Sukhumvit and Suksawat roads and drain the water into the sea quickly, the organisation said. Samut Prakan has 500 of these sewers.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Cuts won't hurt health, says Witthaya

The Nation

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri yesterday confirmed that though his ministry's budget had been cut by 5 per cent for the 2012 fiscal year, it would not affect the services provided to subscribers of the universal health scheme. He said the ministry would introduce some changes like encouraging people to use tambonlevel facilities and be strict with the collection of the Bt30 fee.

Saying that budget cuts were necessary so the government had enough to tackle the impact of floods, Witthaya said, adding that the amount allocated this year was a lot more than what it got previously.

After the cut, the universal health scheme would get Bt107,814.1154 in the fiscal year 2012, while it received Bt101,057.911 in the previous fiscal year.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Govt caravan to go around capital offering help

The Nation

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A government commissioned 800 vehicle caravan started travelling around Bangkok yesterday to provide assistance and relief supplies to people in the 23 districts that are inundated.

While launching the project at Royal Plaza, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said a large kitchen would be built in each of Bangkok's 50 districts to cook fresh food for flood evacuees and that 23 provinces had started sending daily supplies to the inundated districts in Bangkok.

The caravan consists of ambulances, mobile toilet units, water purifiers and smallsized garbage trucks.

Bangkok Bank headquarters on Silom Road is hosting a fair today from 8am to 5pm during which commodities will be sold at cheap prices and free counselling on repair work will be provided. Similar events will be held in other Bangkok Bank branches in the provinces.

Meanwhile, a 40vehicle caravan in Songkhla set off yesterday to collect donations of cash and relief supplies, while a collection centre was set up in front of the Central Hat Yai mall. All donations will later be handed over to the Army.

A team of 114 policemen from eight provinces in the North has arrived in Bangkok along with 22 truckloads of food and relief supplies, five motor boats and Bt850,000 in cash, police commander MajGeneral Suthep Dejraksa said.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Aid after damages checked

The Nation

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The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) explained yesterday that the Bt5,000perfamily compensation would only be granted in cases where flash flooding has damaged properties or homes have been flooded for more than seven days.

BMA officials will survey and certify the homes of each family affected before submitting a list of names to a district office for inspection. The list would then be checked by the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department to prevent repetition, before the aid is paid out by the Government's Saving Bank. Those applying for compensation are required to submit house registration papers, a copy of the ID card, lease and a lease certification letter from the local administrative organisation as well as photographs of the damages to the nearest district office.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Merit-making rites 'will boost morale'

The Nation

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The Culture Ministry will ask Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to host a grand meritmaking ceremony, possibly during the New Year, to boost people's morale.

Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome said she had instructed government agencies to formulate flood rehabilitation plans within the Bt1.4 billion that has been put aside, adding that Ayutthaya had suffered the most with 127 ancient sites being damaged. The minister added that provincial meritmaking ceremonies should also be held once the situation returns to normal.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Unesco recognises late Queen Savang's achievements

The Nation

Her Majesty Queen Savang Vadhana, the late grandmother of His Majesty, has been named one of the world's great personalities by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in Paris yesterday.

"The resolution was made on Wednesday," Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome said yesterday.

The late queen is the 21st Thai to have received such an honour.

Her Majesty was born to King Rama IV on September 10, 1862, and received an education befitting a royal princess in the palace. She also studied dharma, which instilled her with compassion - a vital force behind her public works.

She became the royal consort of King Rama V and their grandsons were King Rama VIII and King Rama IX, who is now the world's longestreigning monarch.

Queen Savang Vadhana, who was known for her keen interest in health science, launched a small medical facility for fishermen and farmers in Chon Buri. Now that facility has grown into the Somdej Phra Barommaratchathewi Hospital. The queen also helped patients via the Red Unalom Society of Siam, or the Thai Red Cross Society, which she founded.

The queen and her daughter, late Princess Valaya Alongkorn, also established a girls' school in Saraburi and the Rajnibon School in Bangkok.

Queen Savang Vadhana passed away at the age of 93 in 1955, after spending a life that spanned six reigns.

"The Culture Ministry and the Queen Savang Vadhana Foundation will ask the government to establish committees to organise events to celebrate the late queen's achievements. She made great contributions to Thai society and is an outstanding role model," Sukumol said.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Novotel Bangkok full with flood-hit staff

SUCHAT SRITAMA

THE NATION

Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square is running out of guestroom availability ahead of the peak season starting next month after letting its staff take shelter in the hotel after evacuating their homes.

"The number of flood victims has reached 80 families with a total of 250 people. They all relocated to the hotel," general manager Philippe Le Bourhis said yesterday.

The hotel has been offering its rooms for flood-affected staff and their families since September.

It is operating as usual except for a Chinese restaurant that closed because of declining customers, but it will resume business today.

More locals are coming to stay at the hotel, replacing tourists who are not showing up. This plus staff's rooms are pushing the occupancy rate to 100 per cent, but the overall return will likely drop this month.

The hotel has been promoting a special rate for flood victims - Bt2,000 per night without breakfast.

Management has been following the situation very closely and knows that the number of victims will keep increasing and the property will run out of rooms to sell, Le Bourhis said.

"Yesterday we refused 20 rooms because besides our own staff, Bangkokians are still suffering from the flood and many choose to stay at a hotel," he said.

One employee said his house in Rangsit was under water and he moved his family without any of their belongings to stay at the hotel.

"My family and I have been at the hotel for two months. As far as I know, my house is almost totally submerged and I consider myself and my family to be severely victimised by the flood because all my belongings are under water and my salary alone cannot support the whole family," he said.

Le Bourhis said: "Our staff are suffering, so we are setting an example for other organisations to follow by taking care of them."

The hotel has also organised activities to relieve the stress of staff, such as inviting local monks to give sermons, taking staff to meditate at a nearby temple and taking them to Lumpini Park to exercise. It is holding other activities for retirees, and sending invitations to the hotel's customers abroad to donate to flood victims in Thailand through many different channels.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Phuket Airport ready for flood-redirected flights

Phuket Gazette

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A Transaero 747 lands at Phuket Airport, which is ready to operate as the

'Emergency Operations Center' in case Suvarnabhumi Aiport in Bangkok

becomes flooded. Photo: Andy Mitchell

Follow this link:

Posted

Budget Bill passed, to be vetted in 30 days

The Nation

The House of Representative has passed the first reading of the Bt2.38 trillion Budget Bill and formed 63-member special committee to scrutinise the budgetary allocations within 30 days.

The passage followed a two-day debate ending Thursday's night

With 469 of 499 MPs present, the government garnered 273 votes for support. Two voted against the bill. A total of 177, mainly opposition lawmakers, abstained from voting.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Flooding in Bangkok improving; water recedes in many areas

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BANGKOK, Nov 11 -- The overall flooding situation in Bangkok is seen as improving as the water level is decreasing in many areas.

The water covering Vibhavadi Rangsit Road has declined by 20cm including at the offices of Thai Rath newspaper, where was 60cm deep and at Thai Airways International headquarters where it is 65cm deep.

On Phahonyothin Road in the Saphan Khwai area, water is receding, and at Chatuchak Park it has fallen to 40cm.

The declining floodwaters came after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) pumped water into Khlong Bang Sue around the clock for many days, and diverted water into the Chao Phraya River,

However, the water level in Khlong Bang Sue is rising and is within two centimetres of overflowing its embankment.

Meanwhile water from Khlong Lum Jiak overflowed to surround Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's residence in Soi Yothinpattana 3 in Bueng Kum district. The water from the Ta Nang canal behind her home also rose and flooded the parking lot, while the community around the PM's home was under 60cm of water.

The Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra on Thursday said the water level in the capital is declining in both the west and the east.

If no additional water from the north flows into Bangkok, the governor said, he believed the BMA could pump water into the sea and recover the main roads for normal traffic within two weeks, but more time was needed to drain the smaller roads. (MCOT online news)

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-- TNA 2011-11-11

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